Setarcos Tunnels Campaign
|conc= |next= |name=Setarcos Tunnels Campaign |image= |conflict=Locust War |date= Bounty 14 A.E.-Storm 15 A.E. |place=Setarcos, Tyrus |result=*COG Victory *Locust pushed out of Setarcos *Prevention of a Locust assault on Setarcos *COG Engineer and Marine Corps' status and reputation heightened |side1=Coalition of Ordered Governments |side2=Locust Horde |commanders1=Colonel Victor Dunn |commanders2= Unknown |forces1= *Task Force Rat **2nd Battalion, 1st Royal Ephyran Engineers **4th Battalion, 3rd Ephyran Engineers **1st Battalion, 1st Light Infantry **3rd Battalion, 11th Tyran Engineers **9th Battalion, 501st Legion **2nd Battalion, 4th Ephyra Light Infantry **10th Battalion, 1st Rangers **4th Battalion, 187th Tyran Grenadiers **1st Battalion, 202nd Royal Sappers **83rd Coalition Militia **3rd Marines Battalion **202nd Military Police **1st Special Kashkuri Marines **10th Dragoons *Reinforcements **Duke of Tollen's Regiment **25th Sherrith Cavalry |forces2= *Unknown Forces **Drones **Grenadier Elite **Boomers **Berserkers **Tickers **Wretchs **Ragers |casual1=*9,967 Killed *987 Wounded |casual2=*28,303 Estimated Killed }} The Setarcos Tunnels Campaign (Operation Undertaker) was a COG military operation in the Locust War. The Operation was deemed successful in that it pushed Locust forces out of Setarcos and created a safe haven for humans. Background Locust Infiltration After the Lightmass Offensive civilians around and in the cities of Setarcos began reporting strange disappearances and sightings of Locust. Members of the 202nd Military Police arrived to keep the civilians calm while a recon platoon from the 3rd Marines searched for any signs of Locust. Prelude The Recon Marines soon found holes leading to one of the largest Locust tunnels the COG had ever found. The commander of the 3rd Marines Lieutenant Colonel recommended the COG launch an operation to eliminate the Locust before they could assault the city. Colonel Victor Dunn agreed with his recommendation and brought it to Victor Hoffman. Hoffman reacted quickly and created Task Force Rat. A task force of Engineers and Light Infantry that would go into the tunnel and eliminate the Locust. First Contact The 1st SKM were the first unit to enter the tunnels with the rest of the task force followed closely behind them. The engineers and infantry began blocking and collapsing paths to make sure the Locust have no way of escape. The Task Force soon fell into a ambush. The ambush was short and the COG took no casualties. After three days of destroying paths the 11th Tyran Engineers and 501st Legion began mapping out the two remaining paths. The 11th and 501st were deep inside the second path when the Locust forces finally showed itself attacking the 11th and 501st with almost the entire force. The rest of the task force moved in through the 2nd path to flank the enemy. The 1st SKM were the first to reach the fight, taking out 28% of the Locust reserves. The rest of Rat arrived to assist the 11th and 501st. The desperate Locust sent tickers and boomers to collapse the two tunnels. The boomers and tickers charged the entrenched COG forces taking heavy casualties. but was able to succeed in trapping Rat. Trapped The now trapped Task Force Rat now were in a race against time as they were slowly running out of supplies. The 83rd Milita and 202nd MP then came into the tunnels to open up a new path for the COG to get supplies. The trapped task force began desperately fighting to break trough the Locust positions. After 3 failed attempts Victor Dunn was mortally wounded, before Dunn died the Locust launched a counter attack on the COG. Locust Counter Attack The COG still recovering from the failed assaults the Locust launched a counter attack on the trapped COG. The Locust unleashed their entire force onto the Task Force Rat. Dunn saw this as his men's only chance of escape and sent the 1st Rangers and 1st SKM to open up a new path for reinforcements to arrive. The remainder of Task Force Rat fought for five more weeks until the 25th Sherrith Cavalry and Duke of Tollen's Regiment came into to the tunnels to reinforce the task force. The Locust were now the ones trapped and were systematically crushed by the COGs and Rat escaped. End Results Victor Dunn was rushed out of the tunnels and into Setarcos's best hospital. He died of his wounds a day later with nurses claiming that his final words were "As long as men and women like my Rat's are still alive there will always be hope." He was named the Hero of Setarcos for his actions. The COG Engineers and NCOGMC also gained heavy recognition and enlistment into the Engineers and Marines was raised by 95% Trivia *More Gears died of sickness and starvation then from enemy fire. *The campaign was one of the most devastating battles the COG was in at the time. *A statue was erected in Setarcos as a memorial to Task Force Rat *Because of the campaign Setarcos became a safe zone for a time. *Setarcos is Socrates spelled backwards *After the battle the units in Task Force Rat were nick named "Dunn's Rabid Rats"